CHERRY PECAN SCONES

Cherry Pecan Scones image

We love scones at our house, ever since I discovered how easy scones where to make in the food processor. And who doesn't love dried cherries? This glaze I discovered in a baking book and it works on all scones. Don't scones just make the house smell amazing!

Provided by Linda Mericle

Time 45m

Number Of Ingredients 11

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Ingredients

2 c all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp butter
1 c buttermilk
3/4 c dried cherries
1/2 c pecans, diced
1/3 c butter melted
1/4 c honey

Steps:

1. Put the first 5 dry ingredients into the bowl of your food processor or just a large bowl. Blend briefly or pulse a few times to mix.
2. Add the cubed, cold butter into the bowl of the processor and pulse until the butter is small pieces, smaller than peas, but not sandy. Or use a pastry cutter and cut butter in. Last, add the cherries and nuts. Pulse briefly.
3. Add the buttermilk and pulse until the dough comes together into a kind of ball. Remove from the processor bowl, scooping the dough out onto a floured counter or mat. If it is real sticky, sprinkle liberally with flour. A little sticky is good. Fold over itself about 4 times, just to bring it together. You do not want to develop the gluten. Shape it with your hands into either a large round disk or two smaller round disks, about 1" high. Place them on a piece of parchment paper on the baking sheet. Cut like a pizza into 8 wedges. (They will be either 8 large wedges, or in the case of 2 disks, 16 small ones.) Pull each wedge out a little from its neighboring wedge, but still forming a circle. Cover with plastic wrap. (I use bread bags with the side and bottom cut open) and put into the freezer while the oven heats to 425 degrees. Or you can freeze them overnight, then wrap in plastic wrap and put into a zip lock bag for a later date.
4. Once the oven is nice and hot, remove the scones. You have the option here of brushing them with cream, milk or melted butter, but plain works too, because you will be glazing them soon. I like to double pan them at this point, setting the baking sheet inside another baking sheet, so the bottoms are safe from burning.
5. Bake until nice and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Just before they are done, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and honey together, whisking occasionally until warm and liquid. As soon as the scones come out of the oven, brush them with the honey glaze. Wait another 10 minutes and brush them again with glaze. Voila! Done.